Former Cardinals OF sounds beyond relieved to be away from Oli Marmol

In what turned out to be his final season with the St. Louis Cardinals, things could best (and perhaps only) be described as tumultuous for outfielder Tyler O'Neill. And at the heart of that was a seemingly public feud with manager Oli Marmol.

While injuries also eventually marred the 2023 season for O'Neill, it got off on a sour note when Marmol outwardly accused the Canadian outfielder of not hustling when he was thrown out at home against the Braves. O'Neill seemingly took umbrage with that, and contested that claim about his "character" when speaking to reporters.

Though the feud did seem to simmer down as the dismal year for the Cardinals wore on, it was of shock to no one when St. Louis ultimately traded O'Neill to the Boston Red Sox early this offseason for veteran reliever Nick Robertson and minor-leaguer Victor Santos.

Former Cardinals OF Tyler O'Neill sounds glad to be rid of Oli Marmol

Now ready for a fresh start, though, O'Neill sounds abundantly relieved to be away from Marmol and the Cardinals when he was asked about the situation during an appearance on Foul Territory.

"I think in the moment, you know, I handled it in the right way," O'Neill said. "Obviously, you don't want to create any kind of division like that, but it was quite the situation for sure, man. I'm happy it's all behind us and Oli [Marmol] and I are able to move past it. But I think at the end of the day, it kind of turned into respect at arm's length. And I'm just looking forward to this new opportunity in coming in with a fresh slate and just working out, working hard, getting after it every day, and proving myself again. New division, new team, all that stuff. We ended on good terms out there, so that I'm very thankful for, I have nothing but gratitude and thanks for the city and organization in St. Louis. But everything comes to an end and it was my time this time."

O'Neill certainly handled the question about the situation -- where there was undoubtedly a bit of nudging toward leaning into the controversy -- with class, to be sure. However, there are enough tidbits in what he said to make it seem like the situation with Marmol is anything but positive and that he's glad to be in a new situation. Perhaps the most damning instance of that is the "respect at arm's length", which isn't exactly a positive sign for how the clubhouse is being run.

After one of the worst Cardinals seasons in recent memory, Marmol certainly enters the 2024 season on the hot seat with St. Louis. And though O'Neill will no longer be a part of that, an admission like this now that he's in Boston could ultimately be a premonition for how things will end for the manager with this organization.